A new bill will allow a person to be tried and convicted of a criminal offence without seeing all the information relied on by the Crown and without the right to be present, the NZ Law Society says.

KWM celebrates a year in Singapore
King & Wood Mallesons has reached its first anniversary in Singapore. The firm’s office there has established a strong presence for international funds, M&A, energy and resources and China inbound/outbound work.
Since opening the office, KWM has grown its headcount in the city state to 12 lawyers including 4 partners, one special counsel and seven associates and is expecting to add further capabilities soon.

City firm pays tribute to city veteran
International law firm Slaughter & May is in mourning following the death of a legal trailblazer. Frances Murphy, the firm’s head of corporate and the first female in the role, passed away on Wednesday after a long illness.
The firm’s senior partner Steve Cooke paid tribute to one of the City’s most high-profile lawyers: “Frances was one of the most outstanding corporate lawyers in the City and made an exceptional contribution to the firm.” He went on to say that she will be greatly missed.
Murphy was with the firm for more than thirty years and made partner in 1990.

Survey shows extent of public dealings with lawyers
A survey of the general public in the UK has found that more than half have had a legal issue in the past three years. The poll for the Law Society in England & Wales by Ipsos-Mori asked more than 8,000 people about their dealings with the legal profession.
A third had experienced a consumer rights issue while a fifth had bought or sold a home or make a will. Two thirds of the issues that were legal in nature were not considered “legal issues” and 35 per cent of respondents obtained professional legal advice while a similar percentage dealt with the issue themselves.

Kanye lawsuit offers a choice - $30 million or an apology
A lawsuit filed against a former employee of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian offers an interestingly diverse choice for the defendant. TMZ.com reports that Steve Sanulis was a bodyguard for the celebrity couple and signed a confidentiality agreement stating that he would not reveal any information about them.
Since leaving their service however, Sanulis has given at least three less-than-flattering interviews and has been hit with a $30 million lawsuit. The figure relates to a clause in the agreement that sets a $10 million figure for each interview given.
There is an alternative detailed in a letter from the couple’s lawyer; Sanulis can agree to say nothing more and make a public apology.